(1388-1422)
[Illustration: Ritter's arms. [TN]]
Henry, the fifth English monarch of that name, was born at Monmouth,
on the banks of the pleasant Wye, in the year 1388. He was the eldest
son of Henry, Earl of Derby, and of Mary de Bohun, daughter of the
Earl of Hereford. During his infancy reverses and successes passed
rapidly over his father's head, and at the age of thirteen years he
found himself the eldest son of the King of England, and was created
by his father Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, and Earl of Chester.
The early education of Henry the Fifth is unknown; but it may be
inferred, that during the life of his mother, principles of high honor
and virtue had been instilled into his bosom, which became dormant,
though not extinct, as rising toward manhood, evil companions took
advantage of idleness and indulgence to call into action the passions
of the young prince, in order to lead him to their own purposes.
The tales of his debauchery, and the depravity of his taste, while a
youth, have been doubted and contradicted, but not disproved by modern
historians; but the positive assertions of older writers, whose means
of information was great and immediate, must always be more valuable
than the theoretical doubts of persons who live when a thousand
sources of knowledge have been buried under the lumber of ages. It is
therefore more than probable that, in his youth, Henry the Fifth gave
himself up to low companions, unworthy a prince and a gentleman, and
yielded to his passions indulgences which were forbidden by his
reason. Nevertheless, through the whole course of his youthful errors,
as portrayed by those least favorable in their account, there is to be
seen the gleaming forth of those better principles, that nobler soul,
which rendered him in after years one of the greatest and best of
English monarchs.
Out of a multitude of events which might be brought forward to prove
this fact, one of the best authenticated, and the most striking, is
his submission to Chief-justice Gascoigne. Henry, it would appear, had
entered the Court of Justice in support of one of his dissolute
companions, who had rendered himself amenable to the laws of his
country. Notwithstanding the presence and influence of the prince, the
magistrate did his duty toward the offender, without fear or favor,
and in the heat of the moment, Henry struck the judge upon the
judgment-seat. Still unmoved and unruffled, the chief-justice, without
a hesitation on the score of the prince's rank or power, at once
committed him for contempt of court.
Time had been given for the better spirit to assume her influence, and
struck with the conscientious courage of the judge, the heir-apparent
of the British throne submitted to the punishment he had merited, and
suffered himself without opposition to be led to prison, thus setting
a noble example of obedience to the laws. His father was of a mind
well qualified to appreciate the conduct both of his son and of his
son's judge, and when the news was brought him--probably by those who
sought to inflame the monarch's mind against the punisher of his
son--he exclaimed, with joy: "Blessed is the king whose magistrates
possess courage to execute the laws upon such an offender; and still
more happy is he who has for a son a prince willing to endure such
wholesome chastisement."
Although from all accounts it would appear that many parts of the
prince's conduct gave great pain and offence to his father, yet we
find that Henry IV. never scrupled to entrust to his care some of the
greatest and most important military operations of his reign. Whether
the prince had already displayed the qualities of a soldier, in a
degree sufficient to attract the notice of his father, or whether the
king sought only to habituate him early to that inevitable career of
arms which was in those days one of the misfortunes of royalty, we are
not informed; but so early as his sixteenth or seventeenth year he
fought at the battle of Shrewsbury, in which Henry Hotspur was slain.
What was the part assigned to the prince on this occasion I do not
find stated precisely; but all accounts agree that he proved of
infinite assistance and service to his father, and fought long in the
thickest of the battle, after having been severely wounded by an arrow
in the face.
The death of Percy spread dismay among his soldiers and allies, and
after a fight of nearly four hours the party of Northumberland fled,
leaving the king master of the field of battle, and a number of noble
prisoners. Many of these were executed either at Shrewsbury or London;
and the Earl of Northumberland, the chief support of the rebellion,
made his peace for the time to meditate his rebellions.
Owen Glendower, however, one of the confederates, was still in arms in
Wales; and while Henry IV. returned in triumph to London, he
despatched his eldest son, at the head of considerable forces, to
reduce the Principality to obedience. The unhappy Glendower, unable to
oppose the army led against him, was forced to fly, and, abandoned by
his friends and followers, is said to have died of starvation among
the caves and wildernesses in which he sought refuge. In the meanwhile
the Prince of Wales conducted his expedition with skill and wisdom;
the whole country submitted to his power; and having re-established
order and tranquillity, he returned to London with honor and praise.
Little further occurs in the history of Henry as Prince of Wales which
is interesting in itself, if stripped of the embellishments added to
it by the fancy of our great poet. A project of marriage between the
heir of the British crown and a daughter of the Duke of Burgundy, was
entertained for some time, but died away, and the opposite, or Orleans
party in France, was afterward supported by the English Crown. At
length Henry the Fourth, on the eve of an expedition to the Holy Land,
undertaken, it is said, in expiation of his usurpation of the throne,
was struck with apoplexy; and a tale, in regard to his death, is
current among the historians of the period, on which Shakespeare has
founded one of the most beautiful scenes in his historical dramas. The
poet, however, is far more indebted for the splendor of his materials
to his own imagination, than any historical record. The facts, as
related by the best authorities, are simply as follows.
After the first attack of apoplexy the king was carried to a chamber
in the house of the Abbot of Westminster, and put to bed, and at his
own desire the crown was laid upon his pillow. He languished in a
state of great weakness for some time, and at length, after a second
attack, appeared to those who were watching him to have yielded the
spirit. The chamberlain immediately spread a linen cloth over the face
of the king, and hastened to communicate his supposed death to the
heir-apparent, who, entering the room to take a last look at his
father's body, removed the crown from his pillow, and carried it into
another apartment. After a short time the monarch revived, and sending
for his son demanded, angrily, why he had removed the crown. The
prince replied that all men had thought him dead, and therefore he had
taken the symbol of royalty as his by right.
"What right I have to it myself, God knows," replied the king, "and
how I have enjoyed it."
"Of that," replied the prince, "it is not for me to judge; but if you
die king, my father, I will have the garland, and will defend it with
my sword against all enemies as you have done."
Not long after this conversation Henry IV. expired, and his son, the
Prince of Wales, was immediately proclaimed king by the title of Henry
V. But his change was not alone in name or station; his vices and his
follies he cast from him, as an unworthy garment, and assumed with
royalty a royal mind. The debauched companions of his youth were
banished from his presence and his counsels, and forbidden to approach
within ten miles of his dwelling. But at the same time we are assured
that they were not left in indigence or necessity. Wisdom and virtue
became the only recommendations which raised any one to his service,
and those who had proved themselves most worthy, under the government
of the former monarch, found themselves most readily welcomed by the
new king.
No sooner was the truce at an end which then existed between France
and England, than Henry himself proceeded to Southampton to take the
command of his army in person. The English armament put to sea, and
notwithstanding great preparations which had been made for defending
the French coast, Henry landed his troops in safety at the mouth of
the Seine, and immediately laid siege to Harfleur, at that time the
principal sea-port of Normandy.
The Dauphin himself advanced to Vernon on the Seine, and the famous
Marshal Boucicault, one of the most celebrated knights of his time,
gathered together a large force, and advanced toward the English army.
Nevertheless Henry did not suffer his courage to fail, and the siege
was continued with unabated vigor. At length the means of defence
began to fail within the town. Two wagons of powder, which the French
attempted to introduce, fell into the hands of the English; the walls
were ruined by the effects of the artillery, and at length the
governor agreed to surrender, if he remained unrelieved at the end of
three days. The three days expired without succor, and Harfleur was
surrendered to the King of England.
[Here follows a long and glowing account of Henry's retreat in
the face of the overwhelming French forces, and of his greatest
victory, the famous battle of Agincourt.]
Shortly after his return to England, Henry was visited by Sigismund,
Emperor of Germany, accompanied by French ambassadors commissioned to
treat for peace under his mediation. But while Henry continued to
exact severe terms, the French gave him constant excuses for
proceeding in the war, by their efforts to recover Harfleur, which,
however, were constantly defeated by the activity of the English
monarch and his officers.
[Illustration: Henry V. rejects Falstaff.]
To conquer the former patrimony of the British kings seemed the
monarch's first object, and in a very short time he made himself
master of almost all the principal cities of the duchy. Caen, indeed,
resisted with devoted courage, and, after a severe siege, was taken by
assault; but the governors of the other fortified places in Normandy,
divided between the Armagnac and the Burgundian parties, had no
confidence in their soldiers or each other, and one after another
submitted to the power of the conqueror. Nor, indeed, did Henry spare
any means to obtain his purpose in such a bloodless manner. All his
proclamations announced that those who submitted should be safe in
person and property; and his address to all the French people holds
out to them that prospect of peace and protection which had long been
unknown amongst the dissensions of their nobles. The first person
of great influence, however, who joined the forces of the English
king, was the Duke of Brittany; and, though Henry exacted no very
great exertions from his new ally, the example of such a defection
from the crown of France was greatly in behalf of the invader. Rouen,
the capital of Normandy, however, still resolutely closed her gates
against the English.
The attack and capture of the Pont de l'Arche announced to the people
of Rouen, and to the King of France, that the war was about to
approach the gates of the Norman capital, and every exertion was made,
both by the Burgundian faction, who now held the king in their hands,
and the burghers of the city itself, to repel the English in the
attempt. A number of famous knights and commanders were thrown into
the city, which was, besides, garrisoned by upward of four thousand
men-at-arms, and fifteen thousand armed citizens, all eager in the
cause.
Immense efforts were now made by the English to force an entrance, but
the defences of the place were so strong, and the defenders so
resolute, that no hope appeared of effecting a practicable breach in
the walls. Many a sally took place, and many an assault, and many a
feat of arms was performed between the two armies. But in the
meanwhile the provisions of the people of the town began to decrease,
and a smaller and smaller portion of food became the allowance of each
day. At length the inhabitants, by murmurs and threats, compelled the
garrison to treat; and, after a long and painful negotiation, Rouen
capitulated, upon terms which could hardly be called unfavorable, in
the situation to which its defenders were reduced.
The news of the fall of Rouen had the greatest effect on the rest of
Normandy, and twenty-seven towns, or castles, immediately made
submission to the King of England, without even being summoned to
surrender. Nor was this immediate benefit the only advantage which
followed from the capture of Rouen. Dismay and doubt spread through
all France, and thoughts of peace and concession were entertained by
those who had hitherto breathed nothing but war and defiance to the
King of England.
Pontoise was almost immediately taken by surprise, Gisors and Chateau
Gaillard fell after a short siege, and the terrific news of the
advance of the English reached Paris, and induced the King, the Queen,
and the Duke of Burgundy to abandon the capital and retire to Troyes.
Henry's ambassadors, according to the desire of the French court, were
instantly sent to Troyes--where the weak king remained under the
guidance of his evil wife and her counsellors--and they soon sketched
out a treaty by which, on marrying the Princess Catharine, the English
monarch should be declared heir to the crown of France, to the
exclusion of the Dauphin and his lineage. This hasty treaty was as
hastily ratified, and Henry, with fifteen thousand men departed from
Rouen, and marching with all speed to Troyes, put the seal to an
arrangement which conveyed to him the throne for which he had fought,
by marrying the daughter of the French monarch. To the first articles
proposed was now added, at the request of Henry, that the Regency of
the kingdom, to the government of which Charles was totally
incompetent, should be entrusted to him, and no sooner was the
solemnity of his marriage completed, than he instantly took the field
against the Dauphin, leading the unhappy King of France and his whole
court against the natural heir to his throne. The town of Sens first
fell before the arms of England and Burgundy, and immediately after
siege was laid to Montereau, where the assassination of John the Bold
had been committed.
Henry also now took upon him the whole executive power of the
government. The governors of towns, the officers of state, the
magistrates and the dignitaries, were placed and displaced at his
pleasure. The currency of the country was altered at his suggestion,
and his counsels swayed everything in France. However, England was
still at his heart, and leaving a country that his sword and his
policy had conquered, as soon as he could do so with any security, he
carried his beautiful bride to be crowned in London.
The moment, however, that his foot was out of France, his interests in
that country declined; and the rashness of his officers brought
confusion and ruin into his affairs. Town after town was taken by the
Dauphin; and at length the Duke of Clarence, the English monarch's
brother, with all the chivalry that accompanied him, were defeated at
Bauge, in Anjou, and the duke himself, as well as three thousand of
his men, remained dead upon the field. This news, accompanied by the
further tidings that the Dauphin was advancing to besiege Chartres,
called upon the king imperatively to return to France; and leaving the
queen to follow at a future time, Henry set out for Calais accompanied
by four thousand men-at-arms and twenty-four thousand archers.
His coming gave new courage to the Burgundian faction, and struck fear
into the followers of the Dauphin. Scarcely pausing at all in the
capital, the English monarch advanced direct toward Chartres, before
which the Dauphin had already been encamped three weeks; but long ere
the English reached the town the gates were free, and the adverse army
with all speed retreated toward Touraine. Thither the English monarch
followed, breathing revenge for the death of his brother. Dreux and
Beaugency-sur-Loire were conquered by the way; but after pursuing the
Dauphin ineffectually for some time, the scarcity of provisions
obliged him to return toward Normandy. On his march back, he is said
to have fallen in with a party of the Armagnac faction, who retreated
before him into a castle called Rougemont, which was instantly
assailed and taken by the English. All who were within, the French
historians assert, to the number of sixty persons, were, by the king's
order, drowned in the Loire, a fact which accords too well with the
manners of the time and some parts of the monarch's own character. The
town of Meaux was the next object of attack, and a long and courageous
defence was made by the Dauphinois within.
The fall of Meaux, like that of Rouen, brought with it the surrender
of an immense number of other places, but this was the last great
military undertaking which Henry conducted in person. From Meaux he
went direct to Vincennes to meet his queen, who was at this time on
her journey from Calais, and thence proceeded with the King and Queen
of France to Paris, where various transactions took place relative to
the internal policy of the country. The court soon removed thence to
Senlis, where Henry continued to make his principal abode, till news
from the banks of the Loire roused him from inactivity.
[Illustration: Arms. [TN]]
The Dauphin, now finding the English monarch removed from his
immediate neighborhood, again advanced with all the forces he could
gather, and laid siege to Cone-sur-Loire, then garrisoned by the
troops of Burgundy. The town, hard pressed, was obliged to treat, and
agreed to surrender, without the Duke of Burgundy should give battle
to the Dauphin in its defence, before the sixteenth day of August
ensuing. The tidings were communicated to the duke by the garrison,
and at the same time a herald from the Dauphin defied him to the field
the day named. The duke instantly accepted the challenge, and sent to
all his allies, as customary on such occasions, begging their aid and
support in the day of battle. Among the rest he demanded the
assistance of forces from the King of England, to be led by such of
his famous leaders as he could well spare. Henry, however, though
already unwell, declared that he would send no one to the aid of his
good cousin of Burgundy, but go himself, and, accordingly, commanding
his brother the Duke of Bedford, to lead his troops from Paris and
that neighborhood, he himself set out from Senlis on horseback. At
Melun, however, his sickness had so far increased, that, no longer
able to sit on his horse, he attempted to proceed on a litter, but at
length was obliged to turn toward Vincennes, where each day brought
him nearer to the tomb.
The Duke of Bedford, led the English forces to Cone, from which the
Dauphin had already retreated, and the English prince returned just in
time to witness the death of his brother.
Henry already felt his danger, and calling his relations around him,
made those dispositions which he thought necessary for securing his
dominions to his child. He then insisted upon his physicians informing
him how long he had to live, and being told that his life could not
last much more than two hours, he prepared to meet death with the same
courage which he had evinced during life. After going through all the
ceremonial duties of the Catholic religion, he commanded some
particular psalms to be sung in his chamber, and died very nearly the
time his physicians had predicted.
Henry V. was a great conqueror, and a wise, prudent, and politic
prince. His two greatest faults seem to have been ambition and
cruelty; the first was an inheritance, and the second, perhaps, was
less an effect of a harsh nature than of hasty passion. We seldom find
that he committed any deliberate act of barbarity, and those things
which most stain his name were generally done under feelings of great
irritation. His conduct to the Earl of March, the heir of Richard II.,
and the respect he paid to the memory of that unhappy king himself,
are proofs of a generous nature; and of all his conquests, the
greatest he ever achieved was the first--that over himself.